Trials of a Trainer: Sinnoh
by Tomoe Mami
Summary: AU. Hating her mother, for seemingly moving on after her father's 'death', and Sabrina, Abby escapes it all to travel to Sinnoh. Paul wants to prove that having two fathers is alright. When these two trainers meet, watch as tensions heat up!
1. To Conquer

**A/N** : This is my Pokémon Novel with Prompts story. I hope everyone likes reading it. Please review.

 **Challenges** : Novel with Prompts (for the prompt "running") and Pokémon Diversity.

 **Warnings** : There will be swearing in this fic.

…

 **Prologue: To Conquer**

The brothers of Veilstone, Reggie and Paul, were now residents of Sandgem Town. They had moved soon after Reggie gave up Pokémon training to become a breeder. This did not impress Paul. It angered him, in fact, and made him quite cold.

One day, Paul headed for the front door, when Reggie took a hold of his shoulder. "I want you to be careful out there, alright Paul?"

Paul shook off his brother's grip and answered, not turning to face him. "Why would you care what I do?!" He seethed, while his Elekid and Sneasel waited impatiently by his feet. "You don't even care about what I wanted from you! You gave it all up to become a lousy breeder. Tch, what a waste of potential! Don't talk to me about your mis-!"

Reggie cut his younger brother off. "Paul, I gave those battles against Brandon everything my Pokémon and I had. But he still defeated us every time. That made me realize I had to choose another lifestyle. And I'm your older brother; can't I look out for you?"

Paul shuddered, as if in disgust of his brother's new job, and kept going. His Pokémon followed obediently. He snorted after he'd gotten outside. _What does he know? Being a trainer is the best thing in the world. The ones I'm raising right now will be powerhouses among the rest of their species. No other Pokémon will be able to stop them_.

Paul's Pokémon were so well trained they didn't need verbal commands most of the time. The only time the twelve-year-old spoke to them was to help them master a new move they had learned or to outsmart a more experienced opponent. While Elekid practiced his electric moves, Sneasel sharpened his speed by swiftly running up and down trees.

As the youngest of two siblings, Paul still found it weird to be raised by two fathers. However, he was otherwise okay with it and was going out into the world to prove that it was perfectly normal.

While he watched Elekid and Sneasel have a mock battle, he became aware of a more experienced trainer arriving at the shore front behind him. Paul half turned to see his opponent and was surprised when the trainer showed off his badge case, revealing that he had three badges. The other trainer also wanted to fight Paul, so Paul obliged.

"Alright, you two! You're facing a tough opponent!" Paul warned them as they hurried over to the battlefield.

They shook their heads, not concerned. They had faced experienced trainers like this one before and come out on top, so why wouldn't they again?

"Kid, kid!" Elekid sparked in anticipation.

"Snea!" Sneasel hissed, also ready to kick some arse.

The other trainer snorted, but Paul wasn't sure if he was amused or unimpressed. "Your loss, kid. Monferno, Gabite – come on out!"

His two partners emerged from their Poké Balls, appearing to be well looked after as they practically howled for battle. Paul felt a bit nervous now, but was determined not to back down.

"Elekid, Swift! Sneasel, Feint Attack!" Paul commanded.

"Both of you, dodge!" The other trainer countered. They did so, looking bored at their foes' skill level. Why were they fighting such weak Pokémon? This was an insult to how strong they were. "Then Monferno, you use Feint on Sneasel! Gabite, use Dual Chop on Elekid!"

Monferno proceeded to ram Sneasel who skidded back, before hooking a claw into the sand and catching himself. Gabite crossed his hands together and unleashed a wave of energy at Elekid, who just barely dodged.

"Both of you, attack again!" Paul called to them. He _had_ to win this, at any cost. There would be a cost, but it was going to be one he didn't like.

"Full-powered Dual Chop, Gabite! Monferno, Mach Punch!" The opposing trainer instructed his partners.

As the Pokémon prepared to strike with the given moves, Paul stood frozen. He knew the strength in those moves would faint his partners. He had been so into winning he had turned a blind eye to their health. He couldn't believe it: his first official Pokémon battle and he started his entry into the Lily of the Valley with a loss.

Monferno and Gabite's attacks connected and Elekid and Sneasel fainted, thrown back to crash at Paul's feet. He collapsed to his knees as the trainer walked past him, scoffing at how pathetically weak he was. Paul knew somewhere in his mind he should take insult to the guy's comment, but was too crushed to care. All of that strict training and time spent with his Pokémon was wasted in two rounds.

Dimly aware he returned Elekid, he picked up Sneasel and cradled him in his arms. "Sneasel, where did I go wrong?" He whispered, torn up by his defeat.

Some time later, concerned that he hadn't returned from his training, Reggie came looking for his brother and found him still on his knees on the shore front.

The sixteen-year-old approached slowly. "Paul?" Reggie asked. Getting no answer, he tried again. "Paul, is everything okay?"

"I was defeated," came the quiet answer. "Three-badger challenged me with a Monferno and Gabite. Crushed me completely."

Reggie was silent at this revelation. Eventually, he spoke. "Not everything goes according to plan, Paul. You can't expect to win all of the time. That's just not going to happen."

"Why?" Paul bit out, not impressed with his brother's statement. "I want to be the best."

Reggie shook his head as he got up to go back to the house. "Because all trainers lose every now and then." He walked off, content that Paul was alright and not hurt.

There was silence for a few moments before Paul heard ragged gasping noises coming from a figure in the water. _What the hell? When did they arrive?!_ He thought, getting up cautiously to check out what was going on.

Leaning down, he identified the figure as a girl as he pulled her into a sitting position. His observant eye noticed no belt or Poké Balls. So he was curt with the girl. "What the hell are you doing in the waters of Sandgem without a Pokémon?"

"From… Kanto..." The girl managed in between getting her breath back.

"Lemme try that again. What the hell are you doing all the way from Kanto without a Pokémon?!" Paul couldn't believe it. How the bloody hell did she survive drifting here?

To his surprise, the girl countered. "Piss off. I just saw you lose." She broke down into choked snickers.

For a moment, Paul was unable to reply to her statement. "You don't have a Pokémon, so who are you to judge? And I'm Cynthia Shirona," he mocked. "What's your name?"

The girl raised her eyebrows, sneering at him. "I am the daughter of a Champion, show some respect. What's yours?"

Paul really wanted to pull his hair out at this girl's obnoxious attitude. "Paul. Now give me yours."

"Abby," she answered shortly.

"Alright, now we're getting somewhere. Where's your Pokémon?" Paul brushed his hands free from finding out that information.

"..." Abby refused to speak.

"Come on."

"Abandoned me on the way here."


	2. Whiplash

**A/N** : The prompt used for this chapter is #9: blurry.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Whiplash**

Elisi ran her fingers through her red locks as she glanced at her husband, Nick Hunter, the current Champion of the Indigo League. She wasn't really into guys and that was nothing against men themselves; it's just she never had the courage to tell Nick that she was honestly a lesbian.

Nick was a great man and everyone loved him, but she honestly found herself more attracted to a woman than a man. She couldn't forget when she trained at the Saffron Gym when she was younger. The Gym Leader was so strong and beautiful and that was when she knew she was a lesbian. Oddly enough that was where she met Nick.

"Nick, do you think it's time Abby went on her own journey?" Elisi casually asked, wanting to see what his reaction would be. She knew Abby strongly disliked lesbians, but hoped her daughter would overcome that someday.

Nick leaned his head back to look at his wife from where he lay on the sofa. The brunette wasn't one to make his daughter go out into the wilds of Kanto if she didn't want to, nor did he understand Elisi's want for Abby to leave 'the nest'.

"I don't think she's ready for a journey quite yet. She seems perfectly happy here at home."

Elisi didn't receive the reaction she had hoped for. She was hoping he would agree with her and then Abby would be on her own. It would have been during that time she'd tell Nick the truth.

Oh well, she decided. She'd have to be up front about it, or try to be. "Nick, I need to-" But she was cut off by a young Lance as he burst through the door.

"Master Nick!" The Elite trainee cried, stopping to kneel at the Champion's feet. "We've discovered a Rocket outpost. Please come with me, we need to stop them!"

Elisi face-palmed in frustration, causing Nick to glance at her weirdly as he got to his feet.

"I'm sure you can tell me when I return, but now we have to take down those Rockets." Nick explained, as he leaned down and kissed his wife. His previous weird expression only grew with her reluctant return kiss.

"Alright." Elisi answered as she sighed. It would have to wait just a little longer. She already waited over a decade, what was a couple more days?

Abby watched sullenly as her father stopped before he left the house. "Take care, honey. Be good to your mother while I'm gone." She poked her tongue at the comment, which made him laugh. "I'll be back in a few days."

Using his Aura, he telepathed to her: _If something happens and I can't come back, stay strong. And… be a compassionate trainer_.

His guilt was felt through their Aura connection and she clenched a fist, a tear threatening to fall from her eye. "Dad..." Abby murmured, distraught. She sensed something was going to happen, but wasn't sure what.

* * *

Nick and Lance raced through the halls of the Team Rocket Hideout with their Pokémon at their sides. It hadn't taken them long to break through the doors and passed the grunts guarding the area. They weren't the Champion and Elite trainer for nothing. This seemed so simple. They would be finished with this in less than a few days. Nick even thought he might make it back tomorrow.

"This way!" Nick directed Lance, as his aura told him something powerful lurked in the room that they were coming up on.

Lance's starter Dragonite ripped open the door to the room, its determined eyes scanning for any threats. But then Nick felt a surge of dark energy and pushed Dragonite aside, the dragon none too happy about the process. "Sorry buddy," he whispered to the majestic beast who nodded haughtily, accepting his apology.

"Is something there, Master Nick?" Lance asked.

A bolt of electricity shot past Lance's ear, forcing Nick to shove his trainee down on the ground for safety.

"There's the bastard," Nick growled as he turned, staring straight into the eyes of an Electrode.

The Electric type stared at the two trainers and his smirk grew. He knew his orders. If anyone was to walk into the room that was not a Team Rocket member, he was to take them out with extreme prejudice.

"Electrode!" he cried and rolled toward them.

"Barow!" Dragonite cried as he knocked the Pokémon away from his master and the Champion.

However, Dragonite didn't see the other that appeared next to Nick from the shadows and barely give warning as it exploded.

"Master-!" Lance yelled in fear, Dragonite reacting immediately and using Protect to shield his trainer from harm. As he did that, Lance cursed lowly. How could they have missed a second one? This would have gone better if his skills at detecting other presences were sharper, Lance knew this to be true.

When the explosion died down, both Electrode had fainted and… there was his mentor's body. Burned from electrocution beyond recognition.

Lance gulped nervously. What was he going to say to Nick's wife and daughter? He would never forget this and he suspected the girl would hate him forever.

* * *

There was a knock at the door later that day. Abby walked cautiously up to the door. Her aura was telling her something was wrong. She peered around and saw her mother open the door to reveal Lance.

"Lance, what are you doing here?" Elisi said. Lance wasn't looking at her in the eyes. "What's wrong? Where's Nick?"

"I-I'm so sorry, Mrs. Hunter." Lance stumbled along his words, trying to avoid saying the reality. He glanced behind him, seeing Abby standing in the corner as if talking to someone. Remembering he still had to answer Elisi's question, he faced forward and lowered his head in shame; he had survivor's guilt, after all. "Electrode blindsided him with Explosion. Dragonite could only protect me."

Meanwhile, in the corner, Abby was talking to the Aura ghost of her father. _I'm so sorry, honey_ , Nick spoke with true regret in his voice. _I couldn't detect it in time_.

 _Why?!_ Abby mentally screamed at her father through her aura.

 _Someday you'll understand_ , he told her.

Abby had been holding her tears back until she felt a warm touch against her face. Upon realizing it was her father's touch, she began to sob. This wasn't fair. It should have been someone else, not her father.

Nick's spirit watched his daughter cry, feeling miserable. He never wanted this, for his daughter or his family. Why did this have to happen the way it did?

Nick had no way of communicating with Elisi; she didn't believe in Aura, or that Nick's race of Dragon Tamers had been persecuted by the Gallade Corps for generations. How was Abby supposed to be protected if the Gallade Corps came after her?

Nick knew she wasn't ready to know. He imagined one day he might have to tell her, but not today and it hurt having to keep this from her. His poor daughter didn't need anything else painful forced upon her. Abby was just an innocent child and could be seen barely able to go off on her own. Either she'd find out herself or he'd tell her when the time was right. Right now, she needed comfort and something, someone, anything to ease the pain.

Nick felt a shift in the atmosphere and his eyes widened in horror, as Sabrina materialized in the house. _No, no, no!_ He cried, knowing what would happen if Sabrina relayed the information she knew.

Lance had softened the news as much as he could, but a more experienced psychic like Sabrina, whom everyone said was emotionless, would break Abby completely. Abby would never be prepared to hear the news from an Elite class trainer like Sabrina.

Nick clenched a fist as the psychic's eyes wandered over everyone, acknowledging Nick with a terse nod. This surprised him; he hadn't realized veteran psychics could sense an Aura user's ghost.

"Sabrina!" Elisi cried as she ran to the psychic. The stern face of the psychic didn't change as she enveloped her into her arms.

Lance didn't understand why she was there. Sure, he had to inform the Pokémon League of the death of their Champion, but that didn't mean Sabrina needed to be there for the family. Sabrina never really cared about what her ex-Gym trainers did anyway.

"It will be alright." Sabrina said almost in a monotone voice. Over the mother's shoulder, she looked and locked eyes with Abby who eyed the woman.

Abby didn't understand why all the auras in the room changed so suddenly. Lance felt uneasy, while her father was awfully tense almost like with fear. Her mother actually seemed calm and not as upset as she should have been, having been told that her husband died less than ten minutes ago.

"Why are you here?" Lance found himself echoing Nick's words, as Nick resorted to possessing the Champion-to-be in order to get his point across.

Sabrina deadpanned at him, or rather Nick. "You know well enough why I'm here." She turned back to Elisi, though her gaze was still locked onto Abby. "The Indigo League Champion is dead. Cause of death: electrocution beyond recognition. Pokémon responsible: Electrode."

Abby's body shook as Sabrina listed the fatality with no emotion whatsoever. "I… I… _hate you_." The last two words were hissed with such vehemence, Lance managed to regain control of himself due to Nick's grief and the future Champion backed away from the girl.

Abby wanted to run and strangle Sabrina, but in the back of her mind her father was telling her don't. The Gym Leader was lucky he was there or she would have done it.

"I hate… all of you!" Abby screamed at them.

"Honey, you don't mean that." Elisi tried to calm her daughter as she reached out to her.

"You're the worst one of all!" Abby cried and pushed her mother away. How dare she act like her father's, her husband's death was nothing? From Abby's perspective it just seemed like an open door for her and ability to close another. She was a traitor. She ignored her father's words to calm her and glared at the three living adults.

Lance still had a fearful expression on his face. Nick tried to calm him through telepathy, but realized he was getting nowhere. Lance's fear of Abby had blocked the connection.

As for Abby, she stormed out of the house and headed away from the turmoil. She wanted nothing to do with any of them, still unable to believe her mother was something she was beginning to hate. And Sabrina, don't get her started on her. Abby growled as she plopped herself down on some springy grass.

From there everything just gave out and she released her frustration with a scream. Abby sobbed for the loss of everyone she held close to her. Everything was gone in less than a moment. She just wanted to get away from everything. She didn't need anyone else; she only wanted escape from these trivial people. You didn't overcome the trials in life by being weak and Abby was just starting to understand that.

After what felt like half an hour, someone came to sit beside her. She refused to look up from cradling her head in her arms.

"Abby..." The girl rolled her eyes unseen and scoffed at the voice's owner. It was Lance. "I'm sorry I was afraid of you. Your anger seemed completely unforgiving and I froze, thinking it was directed at me as well."

Abby muttered something muffled and Lance asked her to repeat it. "I said, it was!" She snapped, raising her head finally.

"Why?" The question sounded so innocent and unassuming, it caused Abby to stumble mentally. Observing that Abby was having a hard time formulating her answer, Lance continued. "I've been through what you're experiencing, so I know how you're feeling."

"You know nothing about how I feel!" Abby screamed. "I wish none of this ever happened! I wish my father was still alive! I wish it had been you who died! You all get something out of it for your benefit but me! I hope you're all happy!"

Abby then turned around and started to run away from the Dragon type trainer. She wasn't giving him any time to answer her about the harsh words she said and meant. Lance tried grabbing her arm, but Abby only turned around and swung at him, trying to get him to release her. Lance only grabbed her swinging hand, keeping it from striking him.

"Abby, please try and understand!" He would help her if it was the last thing he did and the first thing as the upcoming Champion. He wouldn't be able to replace her father, but he just hoped he would be able to take some of the pain away and give her that which she so desperately needed in her life before it was too late.

"Never!" Abby shouted as she pulled her arm away from him and ran off hoping that whatever was next would be better.


End file.
